PROGRAMS FOR Schools

Creating a sustainable culture of peace and non-violence within schools

The Conflict Center has 20 years of proven experience developing peaceful cultures within schools, working closely with administrators, teachers and students providing vital social emotional skills.  The School Program provides a sound curriculum supported by the active presence of TCC staff members.  In the last three years restorative justice principles have been incorporated throughout the program.  Schools that have been through the program have seen significant reductions in fights and office referrals and improvements in school climate.

" There is no way to peace.
Peace is the way."
. . . .A.J. Muste

 

 

 

Goal of The Conflict Center’s Full-School Program

  • Provide administrators, teachers, support staff, students and parents with the skills necessary to create a school culture that is based on understanding and restoring respectful relationships rather than punishment, fear and isolation.
" As an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program School, seeing our students learn to take action is of importance."
L. Hale-Grams. ,Visual Arts Sabin International

 

 

 

 

Key Values

  1. Misbehavior and violence in youth is the result of a process that can be recognized, identified, interrupted, reversed, and most importantly, prevented.

  2. The key to intervening in and preventing misbehavior and violence is to establish a community where each person is provided a tangible opportunity to connect and belong.

  3. Schools provide the greatest hope and opportunity for this process to occur.

  4. Restorative values create a community in which misbehavior and offenses are not seen merely as breaking the rules, but rather as an opportunity to bring together the offender and those injured to repair the harm and rejoin the community.

  5. At the heart of this community lies a foundation of democracy in which each individual has the opportunity and responsibility to participate.

  6. In order to achieve this type of community, an organization must embrace these values at all levels and practice these in their day-to-day operating systems.

Full School Program

The Conflict Center's (TCC) full school program is a three-stage, or three-year process. Each stage has a different emphasis as TCC helps a school move towards a model that will sustain itself, regardless of turn over in students or staff. Every level of the school is involved, including administration, teachers, support staff, students and parents. Each stage involves numerous assessments, both statistical and anecdotal, in order to determine the effectiveness of the changes in the school's culture.

Stage 1: Empowering Staff

In the first year, TCC works directly with staff to train them in violence awareness and prevention, inter-personal skills, anger and conflict management, and restorative classroom discipline. Teachers are then provided with a curriculum to use with their students so that these skills are passed on to them. The first year is used to develop buy-in, on all levels of the school.

Stage 2: Systems Analysis

In year two, the students are more directly involved as they are trained in peer mediation and provided direct opportunities to model these skills. In addition, year two is spent working with a small team (representing admin, teachers, support staff, and the parent community) to analyze the school’s mission, goals, and current operating systems in order to align these to support a restorative model. This team also receives additional training as they prepare to take on a leadership role in year three.

Stage 3: Sustainability

In year three, TCC works with the leadership team to rewrite and/or realign all policies, handbooks, discipline practices and school systems to support a restorative model. TCC also works with the leadership team to establish a five year plan that will ensure the sustainability of all changes.

Other Key Elements of the Full School Program

In addition to the skills curriculum, there are two other key elements of the The Conflict Center's Full School Program:  Playground Conflict Managers, and Reading for Peace.

 

For more information on how to start a Full School Program that is tailored to your school's specific needs and resources, please refer to Frequently Asked Questions or contact our School Program Manager, Vickie Samland.